It was highlighted during the public consultations of the Presidential Task Force for ‘One Country, One Law’ that there is an urgent need for a legal system that recognises all communities equally.
Deputy Director of the Saumya Moorthy Thondaman Memorial Foundation Mr.J. Tyagaraja said this while expressing his views to the Presidential Task Force for ‘One Country, One Law’ at the Thondaman Vocational Training Centre in Hatton.
The Constitution of 1978 has been amended on several occasions. Mr. Tyagaraja says that the new Constitution should be drafted to treat all communities equally by addressing the shortcomings in the 1978 Constitution.
Mr. Tyagaraja is of the view that although different communities of this country have unique legal systems, his people are a less privileged community who had not received any assistance from any of these legal systems.
Mr. Tyagaraja points out that there is evidence to prove that a legal system which was unique to Sri Lanka prevailed in the days when it was a kingdom and that it can be used as a basis for the formulation of a new legal system.
He said that the Official Language Act, introduced in 1956, has degraded the education level of the plantation workers and has also made an impact on their economy.
The public consultations in the Central Province ended in the Nuwara Eliya District. Anyone who wishes to express their views before the Task Force can schedule a date and time by calling the telephone number mentioned below. The Secretary to the Task Force, Senior Assistant Secretary to the President, Ms. Jeevanthie Senanayake, said that comments can also be made via post or e-mail through the following addresses.
Chairman of the Task Force Ven. Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thera and its members including Prof. Shanthi Nandana Wijesinghe, Attorney at Law Sanjaya Marambe, Pani Wewala, Eranda Nawarathne and Dr. Jeevaka Bandara, Chairman of the Northern and Eastern Provincial Coordinating Sub-Committee.
